Abstract

SANCHEZ, Francisco. LANDSCAPE HETEROGENEITY OF BOGOTÁ’S NORTHERN BORDER (COLOMBIA) AFFECTS INSECTIVOROUS BATS’ ACTIVITY. rev.udcaactual.divulg.cient. [online]. 2011, vol.14, n.1, pp.71-80. ISSN 0123-4226.

The northern border of Bogotá, Colombia, is a mosaic of transformed ecosystems (urbanizations, crops, pastures) and natural ecosystems (Andean forests, wetlands). Currently it is not known how such landscape heterogeneity affects the ecology of wild species that survive in the city. It was hypothesized that landscape heterogeneity affects insectivorous bats’ activity and habitat use. It was expected to find different temporal activity patterns and use of sites with different degrees of human intervention. To test these predictions, acoustic monitoring was used at natural ecosystems, sites with artificial illumination and near highways. Insectivorous bats were found both in natural and transformed ecosystems throughout Bogotá’s northern border. Insectivorous bats’ activity near highways increased toward midnight, whereas in areas with no major streets activity was higher few hours after sunset. This suggests that bats avoid areas with high vehicular flow and they reduce habitat availability for bats, at least during the first hours of the night. Sites with artificial illumination had higher foraging activity than places without it. Thus, the presence of artificial illumination seems to benefit some bats that encounter patches where potential prey accumulate, and it is possible that such illumination may be used in agricultural areas of the city to control pests with the bats’ help.

Keywords : Andes; Chiroptera; echolocation; urban ecology; acoustic monitoring.

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